Saturday, 27 August 2011

The Run Geordie Run Ball

It's been a quite fantastic week in terms of organising the Run Geordie Run ball. Mrs Run Geordie Run has played an absolute blinder and is working tirelessly, almost around the clock, to make the event a success. The ball is very close to a sell out and we will be contacting The Marriott at Gosforth Park over the weekend to try and arrange some more tables. In the meantime, let me take you through the itinerary for the evening.

Champagne reception, Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers' Super Raffle and Run Geordie Run Super Silent Auction

I'll be delighted to see so many folk there and it promises to be an absolutely brilliant evening of entertainment and fund raising. At 7pm, there'll be a champagne reception on arrival with what I like to call the "Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers' super raffle" for both ladies and gents. While you enjoy your Champers, please watch out for the Run Geordie Run "Dolly Dealers*" selling apples and sweety bracelets. Each one of them will have a number attached and up for grabs is a Pandora Bracelet if you bought a sweety bracelet and an iPad 2 if you bought an apple.

There'll also be a chance to view the items in the "Run Geordie Run Super Silent Auction". There are some amazing items on offer and please feel free to bid on anything that takes your fancy. The silent auction will run throughout the night so it'll be worth returning to the table to make sure you're the highest bidder. You won't want to miss out on these items.

*actual Dolly Dealers may differ slightly from those shown below.

Heads and tail, 3 course meal with an American twist, the Run Geordie Run Super Casino and the Run Geordie Run Super Table Raffle

The evening will really get underway when the Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers dance for us on stage. This will tell us that "dinner is served". They were cheaper than a dinner gong!

I have worked tirelessly with the Dollys over recent weeks. They are now lucky enough to have some of my "signature dance moves" in their locker. I'm hoping they put everything they've learned in our intensive choreography sessions to good use.

Just before we take our seats for a superb 3 course meal with an American twist, your hosts for the evening, Real Radio's Gary and Lisa, will squeeze in a quick game of "heads and tails" with a nice magnum of bubbly up for grabs. The Breakfast Show duo will be on hand during the night for our entertainment and to remind everyone what the evening has to offer.

On the tables will be envelopes for each person. In exchange for a donation, at your discretion, you'll be entered into the Run Geordie Run Super Table Raffle. So many kind folk have donated so many superb prizes that I wouldn't be surprised if we all went home with a bit of something*.

I have worked closely with the Marriott, Gosforth Park to fine tune this unique one off menu. I'm sure it'll go down a treat. I had to endure many tasting sessions before I was 100% happy with the menu. That is the main reason I started the run across the USA at 18 1/2 stone (see below). Yes ladies and gents, I risked it all to have the perfect menu delivered to you. But that's just the kind of guy I am/was!

A comprehensive choice of wine will be available to you on the table. It's a good idea to pre order this and the relevant forms to help you do this will be sent out with tickets next week.

Located at the rear of the room will be the Run Geordie Run Super Casino. It is here that you will be able to purchase your "Run Geordie Run Super Dollars". The dollars can be used to win your fortune on the Blackjack or Roulette tables. The person cashing in the most dollars at the end of the night will win a 32 inch LCD TV. It's a colour one too! Quit while you're ahead or go for broke? The choice is yours.

You might want to check how your bid is doing on the Run Geordie Run Super Silent Auction. We wouldn't want anyone going home disappointed!

*Please note - Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers are not on the Run Geordie Run Super Raffle prize list but they will be collecting your envelopes.

Jason Isaacs and The Greg Francis Orchestra (Set 1)

Jason Isaacs backed by his 3 fantastic vocalists and the big band that is The Greg Francis Orchestra will take to the stage after dinner. He'll belt out hit after hit in a style that only Jason or Sinatra before him could deliver. Fans of Jason will know exactly what I mean.

Listen out for a few surprise songs that will deliver a taste of my memories of the USA. And before you ask "What's that coming over the hill, is it a monster?" isn't one of those songs!

I've saved a special pair of the underpants I wore when running across the USA to throw at Jason on stage*. That'll be his cue to bring his first amazing set to a close. But worry not folks as he'll appear later on for his second set (if he hasn't been suffocated by my pants that is! Don't worry I've taken out special insurance!).

*That reminds me! I must get Mrs Run Geordie Run to launder said underpants before next week.

The Run Geordie Run Super Serious Bit

Once we've got our breath back (and more to the point, Jason after that underpant episode!) it's time to get down to business. This will be my chance to take you through the whirlwind journey across the USA. I'll be explaining just how I managed to run 3100 miles across the USA in 100 days and exactly why I did such a foolish thing. More importantly, I'll have the chance to thank everyone who made, not only that possible, but also helped to raise such a fantastic sum of money for St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation.

I wrote the speech for this section in my mind while running across the USA. To deliver it to such a wonderfully supportive audience is going to be an absolute honour and a privilege. This is going to be a very profound, personal and emotional thing for me to do so please bear with me as I attempt to keep it together on stage*.

I'll also be dropping a massive hint as to what the next big running challenge is going to be. Not even Mrs Run Geordie Run knows what that is!

I've promised not to touch a drop of alcohol until after this part of the evening is over. We don't want a repeat of my post John O'Groats to Lands End speech in 2007 where I became a cross between Bernard Manning and Frankie Howard. There were sharp intakes of breath from the audience that night where I expected laughter. So please, instead of buying me a beer**, pop the money into the table raffle envelope or buy a few extra Run Geordie Run dollars for the Run Geordie Run Super Casino.

*I'm sure that with the help of the Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers I'll manage!**up until that point of the evening! It's fine thereafter. In fact, you're playing catchup!

The Run Geordie Run Super Auction

Up for grabs in the Run Geordie Run Super Auction are some absolutely fabulous prizes. Breakfast show funny man, Gary Phillipson will be our auctioneer for the evening and he will be ably assisted by the much funnier Lisa Shaw.

Fancy going 3 sparring rounds with professional Boxer Tony Jeffries? You can bid for that here.

Fancy a champagne lunch followed by a tour round the Bentley Factory? You can bid for that here.

Fancy a swimming master class with Team GB's Double Commonwealth Champion, British Record holder, Commonwealth Record holder, World Medallist, European Medallist and Olympic Finalist Chris Cook? You can bid for that here.

Fancy a pair of my sweaty old trainers used to run across the USA? You can bid for that here. No really you can!

Fancy a framed Run Geordie Run running top that was worn in the USA? You can bid for that here.

Also up for grabs is a fantastic framed Team GB item from Paralympian Stephen Miller who will be present on the night with his family.

There are a few other superb items too and I'll be publishing a full list a few days before the ball. I'll also publish the list of prizes for the Run Geordie Run Super Table Raffle at the same time. Speaking of which, once the auction has finished, Run Geordie Run Junior will draw the numbers out for the table raffle. I'm sure that'll go smoothly and once everyone has got their prizes it'll be time for (the resuscitated) Jason Isaacs to take to the stage for his final set of the evening.

Jason Isaacs and The Greg Francis Orchestra (Set 2)

Jason, The Greg Francis Orchestra and those fabulous backing singers will once again take to the stage and whip the audience into a dancing frenzy. Just remember not to dance to "My Way" as you would "The Lady is a tramp" or one of those other upbeat numbers.

I'm sure to be in demand* so you'll find me swapping partners and cutting in like there's no tomorrow during Jason's final set of the evening.

The names of the winners of the Run Geordie Run Super Silent Auction and the Run Geordie Run Super Casino will be on display by the end of Jason's 2nd set. You might want to book a bigger taxi!

*Once again, the Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers will be on hand if I'm by myself.

Carriages at 1 am

Well that'll be it for another year or so. Where did the evening go? How did I end up winning so many prizes? And why do I have 2 Run Geordie Run Dolly Dealers in my taxi? Those and many other questions will surely be answered by the end of the Run Geordie Run Charity Ball.

It's going to be a blast. We are hopefully going to raise a significant sum of money for St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation. It'll hopefully be the kind of money that really makes a difference to the already fantastic services offered by the 2 charities. They are desperate for our hard earned cash. Let's make it a great night for the 2 charities. Let's have a bloody good time too!

Ticket Availability

As I said at the top of this post, the Run Geordie Run ball is almost sold out. If you would like to attend then please don't delay.

Payment for tickets (£65 each or £600 for a table of 10) can be made by Debit/Credit Card to the Marriott or by bank transfer. Please get in touch at sponsorship@rungeordierun.com if you would like to book some tickets. Alternatively, please use the link below.

I'm currently on a fundraising campaign to run 20,000 miles Around The World in aid of charities in the North East of England.

Whilst not pursuing a world record, the run is following two aspects of the Guinness World Record criteria used, not in running, but in cycling for “fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle”; To travel a minimum of 18,000 miles (28,968 km) and to travel through two approximate antipodal points (i.e. opposite points on the planet).

The purpose of using the criteria is to, at least, give credibility to the claim that I, Run Geordie Run, will “run around the world”.

The distance of my chosen route is 20,000 miles (32,189 km) and it will take approximately 608 days (1 year and 243 days) to complete. The chosen antipodal points are La Coruña in Spain and Christchurch in New Zealand.

The run Around The World is split into 8 segments, some of which have been completed already: